SRINAGAR, OCT 21 – Dr. Shahnawaz Dar had just celebrated his daughter’s wedding a week ago. The family was still rejoicing in the happiness of the occasion when tragedy struck. On October 20, Dar became one of the seven victims killed in the terror attack at Gagangeer in Ganderbal district. When his body arrived at his home in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Monday morning, the entire village was engulfed in grief.
Dar, the father of three—two sons and a daughter—was the sole breadwinner for his family. “Who will take care of us now? My father worked so hard to become a doctor, and these attackers have cruelly taken him from us,” said his son, Mohsin Shahnawaz Dar, who is currently preparing for the civil services. “My father wanted me to become an IAS officer, but his death has shattered all my dreams,” he said.
The family remains in a state of deep shock and despair.
Neighbors remembered Dar as a kind and noble person who was always there to help others. “This is a tremendous loss for our entire village,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a neighbor.
The tragedy extends beyond Dar’s family. The family of Shashi Bhushan Abrol from Jammu, another victim of the attack, is equally devastated. His brother, Manish Abrol, tearfully recounted, “He never spoke of being afraid. When he didn’t answer our calls after 7 PM, we were worried. This morning, we received the heartbreaking news of his death. He leaves behind two children. These terrorists must be brought to justice… He was the sole breadwinner for his family.”
Another relative mourned, “Such a tragic Karva Chauth. That woman has lost her husband, and her young children are now without their father. The family’s only provider is gone.”
